EU Probes World Cup Ticket Fees

They are not just the hottest tickets in town; they are probably the hottest in the world. The World Cup is just seven months away and fans from around the globe -- certainly more than the 2.93 million tickets available -- are anxiously waiting to see whether they will receive one of the desired tickets.

The world soccer body FIFA has hardly won friends amongst soccer supporters with its ticket sales practices since a lottery process for tickets started in February 2005.

For the latest drawing, which has been underway since Nov. 2, FIFA has been asking for a non-refundable fee of five euros ($6) -- just to get on the waiting list. The practice of charging for a service -- namely the sale of a ticket -- that cannot even be guaranteed didn't go unnoticed by European parliamentarians, including German Liberal Democrat Otto Graf Lambsdorff. He and his Dutch peer Toine Manders complained, and now the European Commission has decided to look into the matter.

"The issue has been brought to our attention," Commission competition spokesman Jonathan Todd told reporters. "We don't yet have any conclusions. We are actively pursuing the matter."